Bunker fuel prices have mostly increased, and weather conditions have improved in the Atlantic region over the weekend.

IMAGE: Container ship traffic in Los Angeles' Pier 300 Channel. Port of Los Angeles

Changes on the day from Friday to 08.00 CDT (13.00 GMT) today:

• VLSFO prices up in Balboa ($22/mt), New York ($21/mt), Houston ($17/mt) and Zona Comun ($6/mt)
• LSMGO prices up in Zona Comun ($27/mt), New York ($17/mt), Houston ($12/mt), Los Angeles ($3/mt) and Balboa ($2/mt)
• HSFO prices up in New York ($11/mt), Houston ($9/mt) and Los Angeles ($1/mt), and down in Balboa ($14/mt)

Balboa's HSFO price has been the only benchmark to drop in the latest session, defying Brent's upward movement. Meanwhile, the port's VLSFO has recorded the highest gain, widening the Hi5 spread to $46/mt today.

Bunker demand has weakened in Panama. Supplies in both Balboa and Cristóbal remain ample across all three conventional fuel grades, with deliveries feasible within 3–5 days.

Weather conditions in the Atlantic have improved. The NHC continues to issue advisories for hurricane Priscilla and tropical storm Octave in the Eastern Pacific, with marine warnings currently in effect.

HSFO and LSMGO prices have gained modestly in Los Angeles, where bunker suppliers are currently tight on availability. Recommended lead times stand at around seven days.

East Coast ports remain tight on bunker availability and New York's VLSFO benchmark has jumped $21/mt higher over the weekend.

A bunker trader told ENGINE that "Availability on the East Coast has improved marginally, yet both HSFO and VLSFO remain tight, with prompt prices holding firm."

Brent

The front-month ICE Brent contract has moved up by $0.70/bbl on the day since Friday, trading at $65.10/bbl at 08.00 CDT (13.00 GMT) today.

Upward pressure:

Brent crude has climbed above $65/bbl at the start of the week, driven by renewed supply concerns amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

Over the weekend, Ukraine’s military struck the Kirishi oil refinery, also known as Kinef, in Russia’s Leningrad region, for the second time in a month as it continues to target Moscow’s energy infrastructure.  

The facility is owned by Surgutneftegas – one of Russia’s biggest refiners, Bloomberg reported. The city of Kirishi was targeted with seven drones, the report added.

The same refinery came under attack earlier on 14 September. It has a processing capacity of over 20 million mt/year, according to two analysts from ING Bank.

Downward pressure:

Brent’s rally has lost some steam following OPEC+ announcement of a modest output hike for November 2025.

Eight members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) have agreed to collectively increase their production by another 137,000 b/d in November.

The hike is much smaller than the market participants' expectations of about a 500,000 b/d increase.

OPEC’s announcement was “in contrast to markets expecting a more aggressive reintroduction of supply,” ING Bank’s analysts noted.

By Gautamee Hazarika and Aparupa Mazumder

Please get in touch with comments or additional info to news@engine.online